Photos from NASA's Voyager 1 and 2 Probes

By SPACE.com Staff |
September 12, 2013 01:00pm ET

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Voyager 1 Entering Interstellar Space

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

This artist's concept depicts NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft entering interstellar space, or the space between stars. Interstellar space is dominated by the plasma, or ionized gas, that was ejected by the death of nearby giant stars millions of years ago. The environment inside our solar bubble is dominated by the plasma exhausted by our sun, known as the solar wind. The interstellar plasma is shown with an orange glow similar to the color seen in visible-light images from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope that show stars in the Orion nebula traveling through interstellar space. Image released Sept. 12, 2013. [Read the Full Story Here]

Locations of Voyager 1 and 2 as Voyager 1 Enters Interstellar Space

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

This artist's concept shows the general locations of NASA's two Voyager spacecraft. Voyager 1 (top) has sailed beyond our solar bubble into interstellar space, the space between stars. Its environment still feels the solar influence. Voyager 2 (bottom) is still exploring the outer layer of the solar bubble. Image released Sept. 12, 2013. [Read the Full Story Here]

Voyager Signal Spotted By Earth Radio Telescopes

Credit: NRAO/AUI/NSF

In 1990, Voyager 1 took the famous "Pale Blue Dot" picture looking back at Earth. In 2013, the Very Long Baseline Array got the reverse-angle shot — this radio telescope image showing the signal of the spacecraft as a similar point of light. Image released Sept. 12, 2013. [Read the Full Story Here]

NASA Press Conference Regarding Voyager 1

Credit: NASA TV

NASA held a news conference Sept. 12, 2013, at 11 a.m. PDT (2 p.m. EDT), to discuss NASA's Voyager mission. The news conference was held in Washington, DC, at NASA Headquarters. [Read the Full Story Here]

Voyager 1's Next Destination

Credit: NASA TV

A star field image shows Voyager 1 spacecraft's next destination in the universe (circled). According to NASA, "In about 40,000 years, Voyager 1 will drift within 1.6 light-years (9.3 trillion miles) of AC+79 3888, a star in the constellation of Camelopardalis which is heading toward the constellation Ophiuchus." Image released Sept. 12, 2013. [Read the Full Story Here]

Earth and Moon from Voyager's Perspective

Credit: NASA

This image of the Earth and moon in a single frame, the first of its kind ever taken by a spacecraft, was recorded on Sept. 18, 1977, by Voyager 1 when it was 7.25 million miles from Earth. The moon is at the top of the picture and beyond the Earth as viewed by Voyager. [Read the Full Story Here]

Ed Stone at Voyager 1 Press Conference

Credit: NASA TV

Ed Stone holds a Voyager spacecraft model. NASA held a news conference Sept. 12, 2013, at 11 a.m. PDT (2 p.m. EDT), to discuss NASA's Voyager mission. The news conference was held in Washington, DC, at NASA Headquarters. [Read the Full Story Here]

Pale Blue Dot

Credit: NASA/JPL

This narrow-angle color image of the Earth s a part of the first ever "portrait" of the solar system taken by Voyager 1. The spacecraft acquired a total of 60 frames for a mosaic of the solar system from a distance of more than 4 billion miles from Earth and about 32 degrees above the ecliptic. Image released Feb. 14, 1990. [Read the Full Story Here]

John Grunsfeld at Voyager Announcement

Credit: NASA TV

John M. Grunsfeld, Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate, introduces the Voyager press conference. NASA held a news conference Sept. 12, 2013, at 11 a.m. PDT (2 p.m. EDT), to discuss NASA's Voyager mission. The news conference was held in Washington, DC, at NASA Headquarters. [Read the Full Story Here]

Long Way From Home

Credit: NASA

This picture of a crescent-shaped Earth and moon -- the first of its kind ever taken by a spacecraft -- was recorded Sept. 18, 1977, by NASA's Voyager 2 when it was 7.25 million miles (11.66 million kilometers) from Earth. Because the Earth is many times brighter than the moon, the moon was artificially brightened so that both bodies would show clearly in the prints.

Voyager 1

Credit: NASA

An artist's illustration of NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft, the farthest human-built object from Earth, which launched in 1977 and is headed for interstellar space.

Jupiter as Seen by Voyager 1

Credit: NASA/JPL

Voyager 1 took photos of Jupiter and two of its satellites (Io, left, and Europa). The new study says that moons orbiting a gas giant planet greater than 8 Jupiter masses could help astronomers detect a rogue planet.

Voyager's Golden Record

Credit: NASA

NASA's twin Voyager spacecraft launched in August and September 1977. Aboard each spacecraft is a golden record, a collection of sights, sounds and greetings from Earth. There are 117 images and greetings in 54 languages, with a variety of natural and human-made sounds like storms, volcanoes, rocket launches, airplanes and animals.

Magnetic bubbles in heliosheath

Credit: NASA

Old and new views of the heliosheath. Red and blue spirals are the gracefully curving magnetic field lines of orthodox models. New data from Voyager add a magnetic froth (inset) to the mix.

New Pictures of Neptune's Moon Triton

This view of the volcanic plains of Neptune's moon Triton was made from topographic mapping of images obtained by NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft during its August 1989 flyby.

30-Year Saturn Odyssey: From NASA’s Voyagers to Cassini Today

Credit: NASA/JPL and NASA/JPL/SSI

NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft revealed the kinks in one of Saturn's narrowest rings. The Voyager 1 image (left) was released on Nov. 12, 1980. The closer view of the F ring (right) was obtained by NASA's Cassini spacecraft on April 13, 2005. The moon Pandora is to the left (exterior) of the ring and the moon Prometheus is to the right (interior) of the ring.

New Map Reveals Geology of Jupiter's Moon Ganymede

Credit: Wes Patterson

A global image mosaic of Jupiter's moon, Ganymede created with images from the Voyager and Galileo missions.

American Flag Farthest From Home Is Leaving Solar System

Credit: NASA/JPL

John Casani, Voyager project manager in 1977, shows of a small Dacron flag that was folded and sewed into the thermal blankets of the Voyager spacecraft before they launched 33 years ago. Voyager 2 stands behind him before heading to the launch pad in August 1977. Full Story.

Solar System Sails Sideways Through Milky Way

Credit: NASA

This image shows the locations of Voyagers 1 and 2. Voyager 1 is traveling a lot and has crossed into the heliosheath, the region where interstellar gas and solar wind start to mix.

Artist's concept of NASA's Voyager spacecraft

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Artist's concept of NASA's Voyager spacecraft.

Voyager Spacecraft Celebrate 30th Anniversary

Credit: NASA/JPL

Artist concept of the two Voyager spacecraft as they approach interstellar space.

Voyager Probe Poised to Plunge into Interstellar Space

Credit: NASA

This file image, which does not indicate the current positions of the Voyager probes, shows the solar system's structure.

Jupiter's Great Red Spot as Seen by Voyager

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Close-up of Jupiter's Great Red Spot as seen by a Voyager spacecraft.

Saturn and Three Moons

Credit: NASA/JP

Saturn and three moons, Tethys, Dione and Rhea, seen by a Voyager spacecraft on August 4, 1982, from a distance of 13 million miles.

Saturn's Northern Hemisphere

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Saturn's northern hemisphere seen on August 19, 1981 from a range of 4.4 million miles by a Voyager spacecraft.

Crescent Uranus

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Voyager 2 departs a crescent Uranus on January 25, 1986, here seen from a range of 600,000 miles.

Uranus False-Color Image

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

False-color view of Uranus as seen by a Voyager spacecraft.

Neptune's Great Dark Spot

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Neptune's Great Dark Spot, accompanied by white high-altitude clouds, as seen by a Voyager spacecraft.

False Color Image of Neptune

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

False color image of Neptune as seen by a Voyager spacecraft.

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Voyager 1 Entering Interstellar Space

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

This artist's concept depicts NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft entering interstellar space, or the space between stars. Interstellar space is dominated by the plasma, or ionized gas, that was ejected by the death of nearby giant stars millions of years ago. The environment inside our solar bubble is dominated by the plasma exhausted by our sun, known as the solar wind. The interstellar plasma is shown with an orange glow similar to the color seen in visible-light images from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope that show stars in the Orion nebula traveling through interstellar space. Image released Sept. 12, 2013. [Read the Full Story Here]

Locations of Voyager 1 and 2 as Voyager 1 Enters Interstellar Space

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

This artist's concept shows the general locations of NASA's two Voyager spacecraft. Voyager 1 (top) has sailed beyond our solar bubble into interstellar space, the space between stars. Its environment still feels the solar influence. Voyager 2 (bottom) is still exploring the outer layer of the solar bubble. Image released Sept. 12, 2013. [Read the Full Story Here]

Voyager Signal Spotted By Earth Radio Telescopes

Credit: NRAO/AUI/NSF

In 1990, Voyager 1 took the famous "Pale Blue Dot" picture looking back at Earth. In 2013, the Very Long Baseline Array got the reverse-angle shot — this radio telescope image showing the signal of the spacecraft as a similar point of light. Image released Sept. 12, 2013. [Read the Full Story Here]

NASA Press Conference Regarding Voyager 1

Credit: NASA TV

NASA held a news conference Sept. 12, 2013, at 11 a.m. PDT (2 p.m. EDT), to discuss NASA's Voyager mission. The news conference was held in Washington, DC, at NASA Headquarters. [Read the Full Story Here]

Voyager 1's Next Destination

Credit: NASA TV

A star field image shows Voyager 1 spacecraft's next destination in the universe (circled). According to NASA, "In about 40,000 years, Voyager 1 will drift within 1.6 light-years (9.3 trillion miles) of AC+79 3888, a star in the constellation of Camelopardalis which is heading toward the constellation Ophiuchus." Image released Sept. 12, 2013. [Read the Full Story Here]

Earth and Moon from Voyager's Perspective

Credit: NASA

This image of the Earth and moon in a single frame, the first of its kind ever taken by a spacecraft, was recorded on Sept. 18, 1977, by Voyager 1 when it was 7.25 million miles from Earth. The moon is at the top of the picture and beyond the Earth as viewed by Voyager. [Read the Full Story Here]

Ed Stone at Voyager 1 Press Conference

Credit: NASA TV

Ed Stone holds a Voyager spacecraft model. NASA held a news conference Sept. 12, 2013, at 11 a.m. PDT (2 p.m. EDT), to discuss NASA's Voyager mission. The news conference was held in Washington, DC, at NASA Headquarters. [Read the Full Story Here]

Pale Blue Dot

Credit: NASA/JPL

This narrow-angle color image of the Earth s a part of the first ever "portrait" of the solar system taken by Voyager 1. The spacecraft acquired a total of 60 frames for a mosaic of the solar system from a distance of more than 4 billion miles from Earth and about 32 degrees above the ecliptic. Image released Feb. 14, 1990. [Read the Full Story Here]

John Grunsfeld at Voyager Announcement

Credit: NASA TV

John M. Grunsfeld, Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate, introduces the Voyager press conference. NASA held a news conference Sept. 12, 2013, at 11 a.m. PDT (2 p.m. EDT), to discuss NASA's Voyager mission. The news conference was held in Washington, DC, at NASA Headquarters. [Read the Full Story Here]

Long Way From Home

Credit: NASA

This picture of a crescent-shaped Earth and moon -- the first of its kind ever taken by a spacecraft -- was recorded Sept. 18, 1977, by NASA's Voyager 2 when it was 7.25 million miles (11.66 million kilometers) from Earth. Because the Earth is many times brighter than the moon, the moon was artificially brightened so that both bodies would show clearly in the prints.

Voyager 1

Credit: NASA

An artist's illustration of NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft, the farthest human-built object from Earth, which launched in 1977 and is headed for interstellar space.

Jupiter as Seen by Voyager 1

Credit: NASA/JPL

Voyager 1 took photos of Jupiter and two of its satellites (Io, left, and Europa). The new study says that moons orbiting a gas giant planet greater than 8 Jupiter masses could help astronomers detect a rogue planet.

Voyager's Golden Record

Credit: NASA

NASA's twin Voyager spacecraft launched in August and September 1977. Aboard each spacecraft is a golden record, a collection of sights, sounds and greetings from Earth. There are 117 images and greetings in 54 languages, with a variety of natural and human-made sounds like storms, volcanoes, rocket launches, airplanes and animals.

Magnetic bubbles in heliosheath

Credit: NASA

Old and new views of the heliosheath. Red and blue spirals are the gracefully curving magnetic field lines of orthodox models. New data from Voyager add a magnetic froth (inset) to the mix.

New Pictures of Neptune's Moon Triton

This view of the volcanic plains of Neptune's moon Triton was made from topographic mapping of images obtained by NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft during its August 1989 flyby.

30-Year Saturn Odyssey: From NASA’s Voyagers to Cassini Today

Credit: NASA/JPL and NASA/JPL/SSI

NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft revealed the kinks in one of Saturn's narrowest rings. The Voyager 1 image (left) was released on Nov. 12, 1980. The closer view of the F ring (right) was obtained by NASA's Cassini spacecraft on April 13, 2005. The moon Pandora is to the left (exterior) of the ring and the moon Prometheus is to the right (interior) of the ring.

New Map Reveals Geology of Jupiter's Moon Ganymede

Credit: Wes Patterson

A global image mosaic of Jupiter's moon, Ganymede created with images from the Voyager and Galileo missions.

American Flag Farthest From Home Is Leaving Solar System

Credit: NASA/JPL

John Casani, Voyager project manager in 1977, shows of a small Dacron flag that was folded and sewed into the thermal blankets of the Voyager spacecraft before they launched 33 years ago. Voyager 2 stands behind him before heading to the launch pad in August 1977. Full Story.

Solar System Sails Sideways Through Milky Way

Credit: NASA

This image shows the locations of Voyagers 1 and 2. Voyager 1 is traveling a lot and has crossed into the heliosheath, the region where interstellar gas and solar wind start to mix.

Artist's concept of NASA's Voyager spacecraft

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Artist's concept of NASA's Voyager spacecraft.

Voyager Spacecraft Celebrate 30th Anniversary

Credit: NASA/JPL

Artist concept of the two Voyager spacecraft as they approach interstellar space.

Voyager Probe Poised to Plunge into Interstellar Space

Credit: NASA

This file image, which does not indicate the current positions of the Voyager probes, shows the solar system's structure.

Jupiter's Great Red Spot as Seen by Voyager

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Close-up of Jupiter's Great Red Spot as seen by a Voyager spacecraft.

Saturn and Three Moons

Credit: NASA/JP

Saturn and three moons, Tethys, Dione and Rhea, seen by a Voyager spacecraft on August 4, 1982, from a distance of 13 million miles.

Saturn's Northern Hemisphere

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Saturn's northern hemisphere seen on August 19, 1981 from a range of 4.4 million miles by a Voyager spacecraft.

Crescent Uranus

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Voyager 2 departs a crescent Uranus on January 25, 1986, here seen from a range of 600,000 miles.

Uranus False-Color Image

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

False-color view of Uranus as seen by a Voyager spacecraft.

Neptune's Great Dark Spot

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Neptune's Great Dark Spot, accompanied by white high-altitude clouds, as seen by a Voyager spacecraft.